Still waiting for that last chicken...

[ChickenCanoe]

So it is like flipping a switch!
So the common rec of 14 hours is faulty?

And the light switches on at 4:22 PM today. Happy winter solstice everyone in the northern hemisphere.

IMHO, generally yes, it is faulty.
If chickens lay eggs in Kenya, Singapore and Columbia at 12ish hours of daily light, why would ours need 14?
Commercial egg producers do gradually increase light from 8 hours to 14 as the pullets reach maturity, but their extremely competitive industry requires they tweak every possible measure to milk an extra egg or two out of every hen in their short life span. If you get 2 extra eggs out of each bird in a barn with 2 million birds in it, that's a lot of eggs and maybe the difference between profitability and breaking even.

 

[aart]

No. It isn't about the length of the day, it is about whether daily light period is increasing or decreasing in relation to daily dark period.

It's got to be duration too and not just decreasing or increasing day length...
...otherwise pullets would never begin, not hens continue, lay after end of June.

 

[NinjaChicken617]

View attachment 1621150 Hey guys, I have a question. When did your Easter Eggers start laying? My Easter Egger is about 30 weeks. All my other hens lay but her. She is very sweet. But, she hasn’t shown any sign of squatting. I once posted a forum to see if she was a rooster or not. A lot of people voted pullet. So, I’m just waiting. I could be a little impatient or it could just be I’m excited to get blue, green, pink, or yellow eggs! If you want a picture, here she is: Above.
She kind of has a long hackle...Or isn’t it called a cape?
Anyway, Thanks in advance!

I have 2 EEs, both hatched on May 2, so they're just about 33 weeks old now. One just started laying last week, and the other hasn't started yet. She is the last holdout in the flock, and I haven't seen her inside the coop during the day at all (the others all scoped out the place and tested out the nest boxes a few days before they started laying). I swear they know their eggs are special so they make us wait for them.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

How cute! I hope my EE lay soon. Good luck with your chickens!

 

[brendave]

I'm glad I am not alone! My 2 EEs are 34 weeks old and neither have started laying. My BOs and SLW do provide me with enough for the week but I am sooo looking forward to those pretty eggs!

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Thanks for replying! I too am really excited and curious to see what color eggs she will produce. Hang in there!

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Guys! Today she squatted! Hopefully she lays soon!

 

[TheBeardie]

Guys! Today she squatted! Hopefully she lays soon!

I had one of my 13 weeks old pullets sort of squat a few days ago! Its neat that the time range can go from a few weeks from laying to months!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Guys! Today she squatted! Hopefully she lays soon!

Hopefully soon. If you're near San Diego, your days will be a half hour longer in another month. They'll know.

ETA

Just so you know, none of my last 400 or so hens has ever squatted.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Yup. My EE still hasn’t laid or even squatted and I got her as a chick first week of March. Hope you get yours soon